More often than not, The Office characters are seen in the actual office throughout the popular comedy series. It’s right there in the title, after all. And yet, any fan of The Office knows that there’ve been plenty of memorable occasions where one or more of the Dunder Mifflin staff left the confines of their desk for one reason or another. And that’s what we’re about to get into.
In order to narrow down the list of scenarios where The Office characters left the actual office, I’ve decided to exclude any scene that takes place anywhere on the property in which Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton Branch resides. So you won’t find entries here that are set in the warehouse, on the roof, or in the parking lot. Everywhere else is within bounds of this list, but because there are so many examples, many of which take place in The Office’s best episodes, I still had to be selective with the ones I picked…
At Chili’s (Season 2, “The Dundees”)
In “The Dundees,” the Dunder Mifflin staff gathers for drinks and appetizers – separate checks – while being subjected to Michael’s bad jokes at Chili’s, all in the hopes of receiving an award for their hard work (or for having white sneakers or whatever else Michael decided was award-worthy that year). It isn’t all about awards though, as Pam also earns herself a lifetime ban from Chili’s after falling off a bar stool due to sampling too many people’s “second-drink.”
At Jan and Michael’s Condo (Season 4, “Dinner Party”)
In what has to be one of the best and also most-cringe-worthy episodes of The Office, Jim, Pam, Andy and Angela – along with Dwight and his former-baby-sitter-now-girlfriend, who show up uninvited – spend the evening at Michael and Jan’s for a dinner party that leads to serious drama. The results of this night(mare) included one broken dundee, a shattered $200 plasma screen TV, and the end of Michael and Jan’s relationship.
On A Boat (Season 2, “Booze Cruise”)
Is a booze cruise an appropriate venue for a leadership training exercise? Probably not. And yet, that’s where Michael decides to take his employees during the “Booze Cruise” episode. While most of the staff doesn’t seem to learn much from the experience, Rob Riggle’s Captain Jack character does inspire Roy to finally set a date for his wedding with Pam. And Michael inspires Jim to not give up on his feelings for Pam.
At A Nightclub (Season 4, “Night Out”)
Michael and Dwight head to New York in Season 4’s “Night Out” to catch up with Ryan at a nightclub. Strange things ensue, including Dwight catching the eye of a woman on a basketball team, Michael’s efforts to flirt with women, and the clues that maybe Ryan doesn’t have it all together in New York.
At the Theater (Season 7, “Andy’s Play”)
In “Andy’s Play,” Michael spends the evening sulking after learning he wasn’t cast in the community production of Sweeney Todd, but almost everyone else seems to have a good time, including Andy himself, who spent part of his performance fumbling through a scene when his cell phone goes off while he’s onstage.
Around the Scranton Neighborhood (Season 4, “Fun Run”)
The staff takes time away from selling paper to participate in a 5k – which is not 5000 miles, FYI – in order to raise awareness for rabies, a disease that, as Michael helpfully points out, “has been largely eradicated in the U.S.” Michael starts off the run in good shape, but the Fettuccine Alfredo he ate just before the race comes back to haunt him not long into the run.
At Various Scranton Locations (Season 7, “The Search”)
In one of the most underrated episodes of The Office, “The Search” sees Michael left to fend for himself without his wallet when Jim abandons him due to an emergency. Erin and Dwight realize that Holly is the key to finding him, as she proves to have a keen sense for knowing exactly where Michael might go. It’s this exact combination of funny and romantic that proves that Michael and Holly are made for each other.
On A Bus (Season 9, “Work Bus”)
While repairs are being done inside the office, the Dunder Mifflin crew set up shop inside a work bus. This leads them off the property and on the road where they work along the way to a pie stand. It’s doubtful much work gets done, but some important moments take place in this episode, including a heart-to-heart between Jim and Dwight. Delicious pie is also had by all.
At David Wallace’s House (Season 3, “Cocktails”)
David Wallace hosts a fancy get-together at his fancy house in “Cocktails,” and Michael makes it all levels of weird. From deciding to bring Dwight with him, to presenting the store-bought, car-warmed potato salad to Wallace’s wife, to announcing that he and Jan are a couple during a casual conversation among work colleagues, there are numerous moments of hilarious awkwardness to go around.
At The Ice Skating Rink (Season 2, “Michael’s Birthday”)
Michael’s not the kind of guy who lets his birthday go by uncelebrated. He makes a whole event out of the day in a Season 2 episode, which includes a trip to the ice skating rink, where he shows off his skills. He does actually win that moment of surprise as people see him skating. Of course, most of that is overshadowed by the usual awkwardness, not to mention Kevin’s worries about a call he’s expecting from his doctor.
In Tallahassee (Season 8, “Tallahassee”)
There are a few episodes of Season 8 that take place in Tallahassee, and here's one of them. Some of the staff gets the opportunity to head to Florida to work on the opening of the Pyramid store. “Tallahassee” is one of the finest examples of just how bizarre things get when these characters get together away from the office, even if it’s for work-related reasons. That includes Jim’s impressively planned out hotel-room prank, which leads Dwight to believe he’s being framed for murder.
At A Diwali Celebration (Season 3, “Diwali”)
In Season 3, The Office found time for a bit of cultural enrichment among the DM staff, thanks to Kelly Kapur. Mindy Kaling’s character is at the center of “Diwali,” when she invites the staff to come to a community celebration. Not only do we get to meet some of Kelly’s family, but Michael – for some reason – uses this event as an opportunity to publicly propose to Carol. She does not say yes.
At Chili’s (Season 2, “The Client”)
According to Michael Scott, “Chili’s is the new golf course. It’s where business happens.” Michael comes out on top in this episode, as a reluctant Jan watches him take the lead on a sale with a local client (played by Tim Meadows) at Chili’s, and prove to her – and us – why he has such a good reputation as a salesman. Michael may fumble through most situations, but he knows what he’s doing when he’s making a sale.
At Niagara Falls (Season 6, “Niagara”)
It’s off to Niagara Falls for this special two-parter. “Niagara” has the staff heading north to the Falls for Jim and Pam’s wedding. With an occasion this grand, a natural wonder seems like an appropriate setting, and the episode makes the most of it, particularly in the scene in which we see Jim and Pam tie the knot in a private pre-ceremony ceremony aboard the Maid of the Mist.
At the Airport (Season 7, “Goodbye, Michael”)
This outside-the-office scene is brief but incredibly impactful. In “Goodbye Michael,” when Pam spends part of the day “pricing shredders” (she was at the movies), Michael is quietly making his exit from Dunder Mifflin, unbeknownst to the staff, who thinks his last day is tomorrow. Pam manages to catch up with Michael at the airport, and we get to witness their mic-free goodbye from the other side of the security checkpoint. It’s brief and sweet and a perfect way to see Michael depart Scranton.
At Schrute Farms (Season 3, “Initiation”)
In one of numerous trips to Schrute Farms in the series, Ryan has the unfortunate opportunity to be mentored by Dwight in “Initiation.” This includes standing around in a beet field and eventually having the opportunity to vanquish Fear (in the form of Mose) inside Dwight’s barn – where there’s a coffin for some reason, and nary an animal in sight.
At A Picnic (Season 5, “Company Picnic”)
Various Dunder Mifflin branches convene for an office picnic, which leads to a very competitive volleyball game, and a truly unfortunate skit from Michael and Holly. The big moment of this episode comes at the local hospital where Pam, who’s there to get checked out for her injured ankle, learns that she and Jim are expecting. Send in the subs!
At A Pool Party (Season 8, “Pool Party”)
There was absolutely no reason for any of us to expect anything less than total weirdness from an episode that involves a pool party at Robert California’s house. With that in mind, “Pool Party” definitely didn’t let us down. Erin tries to make Andy jealous, Ryan and Gabe compete for Robert’s approval, and indoor pool fun (with or without swimsuits) ensues. And all the while, Jim is just trying to leave.
At A Wedding (Season 3, “Phyllis’ Wedding”)
Phyllis might’ve thought it genius to include Michael in her wedding ceremony as a means of securing extra PTO for her honeymoon, but we all saw how that backfired when Michael saw himself being overshadowed by the father of the bride during the ceremony. And that was just the start of Michael’s ridiculous antics during this fusing of two metals with a hot torch.
At A Schrute Farms Garden Party (Season 8, “Garden Party”)
We have Jim to thank for all of Dwight’s grand gestures – from announcing the arrival of the guests all the way to the closing ceremonies – during this Schrute Farms-set garden party. While some lessons are surely learned during this episode, the biggest one was likely never to give Mose access to your car.
At The Mall (Season 3, “Women’s Appreciation”)
Michael takes the women of the office to the mall for Women’s Appreciation and ends up revealing some very personal info about the problems with Jan. On the bright side, the ladies offer him the support he needs to break things off with Jan – at least, for now – and in return, he offers them one item a-piece from Victoria’s Secret.
In New York City (Season 2, “Valentine’s Day”)
One of numerous trips to New York sees Michael giving the cameras a tour of the city in “Valentine’s Day.” That includes pointing out his favorite New York pizza place (...Sbarro’s.), and chasing down a fake Tina Fey while completely missing the Conan O’Brien cameo the rest of us get to appreciate.
At A Bar (Season 6, “Happy Hour”)
Date Mike has entered the chat and… yikes. In “Happy Hour,” the staff heads to a bar to play some pool and other games while enjoying a bit of downtime. Jim and Pam generously try to introduce Michael to a very sweet woman who could be a good match for him, but the moment Michael realizes he’s on a date, he starts showing off and it all goes downhill from there.
At The Utica Branch (Season 4, “Branch Wars”)
Jim reluctantly joins Michael and Dwight to the Utica branch, where they intend to pull off a prank that sounds not only dangerous, but possibly illegal, especially when taking into account the supplies Dwight is bringing along. Things only get more awkward when Jim ends up coming face to face with Karen for the first time since they broke up. While wearing a fake mustache. And a woman’s warehouse uniform.
At The Hospital (Season 6, “The Delivery”)
In another of the special two-parter episodes to play out throughout The Office, “The Delivery” features the birth of Jim and Pam’s first child. As you can imagine, it’s a big deal, and of course, this would include Michael and others from the office joining them at the hospital. The episode also sees Dwight deciding to renovate Jim and Pam’s kitchen, and the new parents experiencing a classic case of “wrong baby” during a sleepy late-night feeding session in their hospital room.
At Gabe’s Apartment (Season 7, “Viewing Party”)
“Viewing Party” certainly sets a date stamp on this particular time period of The Office. Glee was a big deal at the time, after all, so it makes sense that it would be the show certain staff members are wrapped up in, and that’s why they’re all together at Gabe’s apartment in this ep. In addition to attempts to actually watch the episode, Dwight proves to be exceptionally good with babies and he helps Cece finally go to sleep (in exchange for pizza, beer, Pam's gratitude and a bit of Jim’s dignity).
In Montreal (Season 5, “Business Trip”)
Some of the staff head to Montreal in “Business Trip.” Michael is determined to make the most out of the experience, but his expectations are impossibly high from the start. Despite hitting it off with the hotel concierge, this trip leads Michael to vent his frustrations to David Wallace over Holly being transferred to the Nashua branch.
At Business School (Season 3, “Business School”)
Ryan thinks having Michael speak at his business school class in exchange for a boost to his grade is a good idea. In the lecture hall, Michael doesn’t let the opportunity to capture a room’s attention go to waste, even if he doesn’t know much about business. Not only does Ryan end up looking embarrassed, but the whole ordeal results in him being sent back to the annex (which is where Kelly sits).
On Sales Calls (Season 3, “Traveling Salesman”)
The sales members pair up and head off into the greater Scranton area to make sales calls. This includes Karen and Phyllis getting a big makeover, and Dwight and Jim firing up their old sales-team dynamic. While the day does include Jim smacking Dwight and Karen finding out about Jim’s crush on Pam, sales are also made, so that’s something.
At Benihana (Season 3, “A Benihana Christmas”)
After breaking up with Carol, a gloomy Michael is taken out to lunch at Benihana by Andy, Dwight and Jim before the office Christmas party. Dwight ends up stuck at the other end of the table, where he misses most of the conversation, but the outing does temporarily cheer Michael up.
In Church (Season 7, “Christening”)
Most of the staff gathers at church for Cece’s christening. And while Pam uncomfortably makes Michael agree outloud that he is not, in fact, “the godfather,” the real awkwardness transpires at the post-ceremony reception where there isn’t enough food. The episode delivers some great moments, including the introduction of baptism reception critic, Sconesy Cider.
On The Beach (“Season 3, “Beach Games”)
Because it wouldn’t be enough to just choose a successor when he’s up for a promotion, the “Beach Games” episode sees Michael bringing the team to the lake to subject them to a series of competitions. A lot of hot dogs are eaten, Andy finds himself literally adrift, and Pam summons the bravery to tell Jim (and the rest of the office) how she feels.
And those are just some occasions where the Dunder Mifflin characters spent time away from the actual office. Whether it was a good decision or the worst choice an Office character could make, it usually made for an entertaining episode for us!
